Coping
by Angst Splatter
Summary: Years after the tragedy of Jurassic Park, both Lex and Malcolm are still suffering the aftereffects of such an event. They are surviving. But they are missing something. A solid nights sleep. Slightly mature content.


I've never really thought of this pairing, but watching the second movie the other night it just popped into my mind. You know how plotbunnies can be… I'm sick with the flu (I think) and should be working on NaNo, which I'm already two days behind thanks to this illness, but I can't get this out of my mind. I hope this is coherent. Movie!verse in the idea and personalities, but almost book!verse in that it ignores IanxSarah.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, the movie, or the book. Just enjoy watching, reading, and writing about them.

JP~JP~JP~JP~JP

Lex Murphy had grown into a beautiful young woman. A beautiful young woman who was standing here at his door, expectantly waiting to be invited in.

"Uh, uh. Well, come in then." It was good to see her again. Of course it was. He loved kids. Anything and everything could happen with them. But Lex wasn't a kid any more. She was a woman. Though, when he thought about it, anything and everything could happen with women, too. "It's good to see you again."

"Yeah. You too." She stared into his eyes and he was immediately drawn into her gaze. Having her here brought back memories he had long tried to forget. A flashlight shining out of the back of a jeep, signaling for help. Lighting a flare. Thinking only of the children. Too late realizing his mistake. A giant, gaping maw, smelling horribly of rotting meat and intense morning breath, coming straight for him. Being picked up off the ground. A searing, blinding, flashing pain in his leg. The darkness and confusion that followed, even as he was being thrown to the ground.

"Ian. Ian. Ian! Can you hear me?" Shaking his head, Malcolm shoved the memories back into the depths of his mind.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Sorry." He almost wanted to offer some sort of explanation, but it wouldn't come. He could see it in her eyes that she understood anyway.

"It still haunts you, doesn't it? You shouldn't be ashamed. I still have nightmares. Every single night. That's why I'm here."

Not very many times in his life was he speechless, but that's what he found himself this time. Her blue eyes bore into his soul and he felt as if she could make it all better. She had been through the same thing as him. She knew the roar of a tyrannosaurus. The light, bobbing motion of a raptor. The terror these creatures brought about. Lex Murphy understood him.

She said no more. Ian was expecting more of an explanation. A talk. They could discuss their problems together, with someone that understood, and maybe, finally, find some peace. So he was taken by surprise when she suddenly leaned over and mashed her lips into his. She attempted a kiss before quickly breaking away.

"S-s-sorry. I don't know what I was –"

Malcolm cut off her words with another kiss. He wasn't sure this was the right thing to do, but it felt good, and he was always one for good. One of his hands snaked up to her head, firmly pushing her harder into their kiss. Then he broke it off, hand still on her head. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

She answered with a kiss. He moaned with want and, of its own accord, his other hand snaked its way up her stomach and to her chest, where it paused, still unsure if this was okay. She moved in close and used her hand to move his hand to her breast. Kissing hard, they moved closer together, stumbling to the couch, too lonely to go upstairs to his bed.

When he woke up, Lex was gone. He was sprawled over the couch, naked and cold. He scrambled up and shoved his clothes on, his mind still on last night. For the first time since he had been to either island he had been allowed a solid night's sleep. No nightmares. No insomnia. No staring up at the ceiling waiting to fall asleep, but too scared to let himself. He could only hope that Lex had received the same.

Ian Malcolm ripped open a pop-tart package and threw them into the toaster. He dragged out a book on the chaos theory and put up the pretense of reading it, as he couldn't stop thinking of the scared girl in the Park and comparing her to the strong, independent woman that had come onto him last night. Lex had left before he had woken – perhaps she was also ashamed of what they both needed – but he knew she would be back. Maybe tonight, maybe next week, maybe next month. She would be back. They might not love each other, but they understood each other. And for two souls surviving after the tragedy of Jurassic Park, that was all the comfort they needed. So Ian Malcolm, grabbing his pop-tarts from the toaster, sat back, and waited until Lex Murphy once again showed up at his door.

JP~JP~JP~JP~JP

The end. Hope you enjoyed or appreciated it.


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